I need a kick up the arse/motivation

[randomtask]

When I got married last year, I'd lost a stone and a half and gone down nearly two) clothes sizes as I didn't want to buy new summer clothes for our honeymoon . I was eating well, not really snacking (I'd have fruit or ryvita with marmite twice a day) but was walking to work (an hour a day) three times a week, swimming two times a week, was sometimes going out for a short run/jog or playing tennis (badly) against DH.

Since getting married (and becoming a full time Mummy to DSS), I haven't had any time to exercise and have also found myself eating more sweet things than I used to as when you have a child in the house well, they're there. I've put back on a stone (so still lighter than I was) but I'm now my fattest ever and being short, every lb really does show.

A couple of months ago I started cutting out the snacks, doing an exercise dvd probably once a fortnight and doing random exercises if I had the time. I've also been going for walks in my lunch hour if I have the time. I only lost 3lbs and not many inches but, it was worth it as we knew we were going to start TTC in the Autumn.

DH has now said he wants to wait 6 months or so to TTC so I've lost my motivation. And DSS had his birthday last week so we have more junk food in the house than normal. Help!

I'm eating oatabix (with small amount of dark sugar) for breakfast, a banana mid morning, a sandwich (wholemeal bread and usually with sandwich spread/cheese in) for lunch, an apple mid afternoon and a 'normal' dinner in the evening. I'm vegetarian and don't eat much 'fatty' food. Sugar causes me to have migraines so I don't eat much of that either.

Does anybody know how I can lose weight when if I eat less I get faint and I don't have much time and even less money?

Whilst you're there, if you could give me a good old kick up the arse to motivate me, that'd be grand

I would try eating more protein and more iron-rich foods e.g. houmous, nut butters, seeds, broccoli etc.

You obviously can do it so good luck with it all, not sure I want to kick you as such!

You have to make time to exercise-simple as that. You're a f/t mother so even less excuse. Take long walks with the pushchair for a startt.
Go to an aerobics class or for a run in the evening. Is that feasible?
Anexercise dvd once a fortnight isn't going to do it.

Also, don't eat 'sandwich spread'.Tis Satan's congealed semen.

I already eat lots of broccoli and spinach (I used to be anaemic so am paranoid about my iron levels) and tend to eat Quorn with my evening meals.

So how come more protein and iron rich foods work?

And believe me, I need the kick! DH just told me off for eating some matchmaker chocolates whilst he was out last night (in my defence, only an 8th of a pack) and I pointed out I'd lost my motivation to lose weight. He said 'what about self respect'. That really should make me want to do it now, but it still doesn't!

My DSS is 8 so goes to school. I work full time, run a monthly youth group, volunteer once a week on a youth programme and am in the middle of adopting DSS as well as buying a house. Oh plus going to church which means all Sunday mornings are out and some evenings too. I did tell DH I'd stop church and go swimming instead but he didn't think that was a good idea!

Fair enough to sandwich spread. Will stick to peanut butter!!

I do realise I sound pathetic but even DH tells me it's unrealistic that I'd get the chance to do regular exercise .

I work f/t, also run a business, am doing an MSc,have two small kids, run my house single handedly,and have a dh away for 6 weeks at a time.

I also help at school, on a charity [monthly night meetings] and do Sunday school.

I go to aerobics twice a week and run/go to the gym, once a week.

Sorry, yes you do sound pathetic.
Nothing changes if nothing changes as someone said here a few nights ago.

Who looks after the children whilst you are doing your exercise then?

And yes I realise something needs to change, I just need to find out a way to make it change without my family suffering.

Ok a gentle kick up the backside, because you are asking for help and support. Probably most of us on here have busy lives and can justify why we don't have time to exercise, but the simple truth is, if you want to loose weight you have to find time to exercise. Ive lost 2.5 stone since the end of Feb, a combination of ww, Slimfast and exercise. I work full time, and have two DCs, 3 and 11 months. But 6 times a week, when they have gone to bed, I put on my gym kit and workout to a DVD for 40 mins a night. Working out in the evening isnt my favourite thing to do, but that was a better option than staying the size I was. Iam now a size 10 and know that if I don't keep up the exercise then the weight will comeback on. So the choice is simple, dont find time to exercise and moan about the weight, or come hell or high water, fit exercise into your day. Because I now exercise so regularly, it is part of my daily routine, so much easier to accomodate and I feel guilty if I don't do it.

So no more excuses, its up to you, find time or stay overweight - and believe me feeling slim and looking slim beats anything that you get momentarily from eating chocolate - honest ! :-)

Loads of luck, if you REALLY want to do it you will.

Well said 2bay.
Random, I get a babysitter and/or go at lunchtime. Why should your family suffer? They will benefit from someone with more energy actually.

That's the really annoying thing. When I do exercise, I get really motivated and feel better. I even get to the stage of not wanting chocolate!

Which dvd do you use? I've struggled with mine because a) by 8pm when DSS is in bed I'm knackered and need to do paperwork/housework, b) it's bellydancing (which I used to go to classes for) but not the way my teacher taught so I get confused and swear lots, c) DH then has to not be in the living room which means he's banished to the tiny study (open plan downstairs) and d) DSS isn't sleeping very well, plus our TV on quietly keeps him awake so if he can't hear it, I normally can't either! Actually, just realised, in our new house, as it's not open plan I won't have the DSS problem and DH can either be in the (slightly) larger third bedroom (he'll have work to do in evenings then as he's a teacher) or do the washing up without me jumping about in the corner. That's made me feel much more like it's possible, even if not quite now. .

I think part of what I struggle with is I really like swimming and can't get the time (or money) to go nowadays. I used to be there at 9pm a few nights a week! I guess I just need a different type of exercise.

Does WW work if you're veggie and get migraines if you're hungry? I nearly fainted in the post office at lunch time as I was half an hour late eating my lunch .

How come you can't afford it? Most councils will give you a month deal for 30 quid. How much is a box of Matchmakers? Or an exercise dvd? My areobics class costs less than 4 quid. I view it as a night out, having a laugh with some nice people.

Can't afford a babysitter and most of my lunch hours are spent either working, food shopping, doing my youth work planning or (currently) doing paperwork for buying my house. Sometimes I get a week with not so much on so I go for an hour long walk in the local park which has big hills (I have problems with my knees and the osteo said this would help). DH does lots of evening meetings for both church stuff and his work so I feel guilty if he's home and I'm not. I know I need to work on that though as he says it's fine, I just feel bad we don't get to see each other much (which is a bit sad when we haven't even been married a year yet).

I do agree that DH prefers it when I have energy though!

I don't have nights out, at most I go to a friends house once a month. The exercise dvd I asked for as a birthday present and the matchsticks were bought for DSS's birthday cake (otherwise they'd never be in the house).

DH has been a trainee teacher for the last year so wasn't paid. We're now buying a house so won't have much spare cash (my spare cash for the month will be £30 once we complete if I continue to have monthly osteo so I can walk).

Keep on making excuses and keep on being fat then.
I've tried my best to help. I'm giving up now.

I think you don't realise that not everybody can afford to work full time, pay childminders/babysitters etc. But I'm sure you like your life that way and I'm sure that's why you're the way you are .

Sorry no point in asking for help, if you are just going to give excuses- that is just wasting everyone's time. Either you want to loose weight and will find time to exercise, or you won't. End of really.

Just to be helpful one final time, Davina's DVDs are great, I also like, the 5 Steps one and the Leticia Dean one.

Now its up to you.

Is the 5 Steps one by someone famous or is it a 'brand' if you see what I mean? I'd heard Davina's are good and that they're in 40 minute sections?

I'm not wanting to give excuses, but I also don't see the point in kidding myself that things are going to fit into my life that physically can't. If I can get an exercise dvd I can do weekly (and not wake up DSS) then that'll be a good start. At the moment DH and DSS are both on school holidays so I'm walking to work a few times a week too (avoiding the rain!) so that should help kick start it a bit. Also, DH is now helping with the house buying procedure so I'm getting to walk for a lunchtime or two a week as long as it's not raining (my youth group restarts in September so I have more time). What I don't want to do is have to then stop it all come September when I'm back on the school run etc.